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Andrew Flintoff
Andrew Flintoff (born 6 December, 1977 in Preston, Lancashire) is a current English Test and One-Day cricketer. Early career 'Freddy', as many affectionately call him, exploded onto the scene at Lancashire Cricket Club as a promising youngster. In the 1998 domestic season, Flintoff took 22 catches, six wickets, one century and two half centuries in 15 first class matches. Despite Flintoff's struggle to find form in the England side, the selectors kept faith in him. After initially being given a test run-out, Flintoff was dropped, but was kept in the side as a specialist one-day batting all-rounder. It was perhaps only in the 2001 One-day match against Pakistan at Karachi that Flintoff 'came of age'. Smashing a rapid 80 to win the match for England, he collected the Man of the Match award - a Mini Metro. Soon after that performance, partly due to the retirement of Michael Atherton from international cricket, Flintoff became a regular fixture in the England Test squad. His potential to perform on the biggest stage gradually came into fruition in 2002, when he smashed his maiden Test century against New Zealand in a record partnership with Graham Thorpe, who scored 200 in the same innings. First Test 100 Flintoff would not have to wait long for his next Test century, which came against South Africa, then the second best team in the world, in the summer of 2003. The match was already as good as lost, but Flintoff came out in the final innings to claim his highest test score, smashing a number of sixes as he batted with the tail. England still lost, but that dangerous innings was an indicator of what was to come in later matches. England have Freddy to thank for smashing a quick 96 to help England to a win in the following Test. These two innings, along with another half century and a glut of wickets handed him the man of the series award. First five wicket haul Flintoff's finest series was yet to come, however. In the spring of 2004 against the West Indies, Flintoff took his first five wicket haul in tests. On top of that, he managed to smash his third Test century in the final test, which most people would remember for Lara's world record 400* at St John's, Antigua. The match was drawn and the series clean sheet complete. Though Steve Harmison took the man of the Series award, Flintoff was one of the shining lights of the tour, also getting in the runs in the drawn one-day series. Against New Zealand in 2004, Flintoff's form continued, as he hit three more half centuries, one a huge 93 which, along with Geraint Jones's 100 guided England to a first Innings lead, and ultimately a match and series win. Stats for Test series v New Zealand 2004 Flintoff has matured incredibly just as many predicted since his Test debut, particularly since 2002. External links * Cricinfo's page on Flintoff * Flintoff's Wikipedia entry category:Lancashire players category:English Test players category:English ODI players Category:All-rounders Category:Living people